PROJECT SUMMARY
The SAFEWATER project aims to develop a wastewater treatment system capable of ensuring the safety of reused water while maintaining the chemical quality and microbial community of the soil. The aim is to ensure the sustainability and conservation of nature in the Tagus International Park, contributing to its resilience in the context of climate change. The involvement of the population will contribute to raising awareness.
The project falls within the thematic area of parks and nature reserves, as well as areas of environmental importance. It aims to preserve the biodiversity existing in these areas through the sustainable reuse of water from effluents, ensuring soil health to guarantee safe and sustainable agriculture.
Main Objective:
SAFEWATER aims to ensure the resilience of the agricultural sector. It seeks to understand the impact of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and pathogens on agricultural fields. The development of innovative technologies, materials, and equipment that enable the removal of pharmaceutical compounds in accordance with European legislation (Directive 2024/3019), as well as pathogens (bacteria and viruses) that may be present in effluents and WWTP sludge, in order to protect soil health and the global water chain. The overall objectives of the project contribute to the European Union's Zero Pollution Action Plan.
The aim is to:
- Assess the presence of pharmaceutical compounds, pesticides, and pathogens;
- Assess the impact of the presence of these pollutants in water, sludge, and soil;
- Propose the use of water treatment technologies aimed at removing these pollutants;
- Assess the use of these treatment technologies by monitoring the quality of water, sludge, and soil health;
- Disseminate and explore the results in order to raise awareness of the impact of the presence of these pollutants in water and soil;
The work plan, an activity led by InovCluster within the scope of the Action Plan, consists of the following activity:
A1. - Project coordination and management
The project coordinator assumes legal and financial responsibility and is responsible for submitting reports to La Caixa; Promotes regular meetings with partners; supervises the progress and execution of planned tasks; manages communication between stakeholders, users, and partners; is responsible for administrative and financial matters related to the project; is responsible for executing the project management plan and semi-annual reports.
A2. - Mapping and selection of PNTI zones sensitive to climate change
The characterization and sampling of selected sites is planned, as well as the mapping of areas sensitive to climate change and the analysis of wastewater treatment processes before and after the WWTP.
Identification of the beneficiaries of treated water and sludge; Registration of participating farmers and characterization of farm soils; Identification of sources of pollution at source, with quarterly monitoring of effluents from hospital units; Definition of the time frame and implementation schedule.
A3. - Assessment of the impact, reuse, effluents, and sludge on soils
Caracterização química, física e biológica dos influentes do Hospital e das casas de saúde de Castelo Branco, e dos efluentes e lamas da ETAR selecionada; avaliação das capacidades de adsorção das lamas e parâmetros dos solos (nutrientes, pH, etc.); Realização de ensaios em mesocosmos com o solo do PNTI, de forma a avaliar o impacto das soluções de irrigação e aplicação de lamas atualmente utilizadas, fornecendo uma base de comparação para a solução a desenvolver no projeto.
A4. - Validation of innovative technology for quaternary treatment of effluents
Esta atividade tem como principal objetivo a validação de tecnologia inovadora para o tratamento quaternário dos efluentes. Recorrendo à experimentação de aplicação de materiais fotocatalíticos ativos e estáveis para melhorar a degradação dos contaminantes. O desenvolvimento de um sistema integrado de tratamento de águas residuais quer hospitalar quer das ETARs para obtenção de águas reutilizáveis pera irrigação agrícola.
A5. - Impact of treated effluent and sludge reuse on soil health
This activity aims to evaluate treated water, both from hospital influent and WWTP effluent, and sludge on the health of selected soils collected in activity 3. Plant growth will be measured on a mescosm scale, and water quality will be evaluated in terms of CEC removal.
A6. - Impact of treated effluent and sludge reuse on soil health
Implementação do plano de disseminação e transferência de conhecimento (PDTC). Será definida e implementada a estratégia de comunicação externa e interna do projeto com o objetivo de comunicar de forma coesa e assertiva quais os objetivos e resultados que o projeto pretende concretizar, concretamente ao nível da veiculação de informação entre os parceiros, a qual contribuirá diretamente para a eficácia da sua execução afim de fazer chegar ao público-alvo, identificado como agricultores, associados dos parques naturais, sociedade civil, universidades, gestores da água, indústria e reguladores todo o conhecimento gerado com a execução do projeto.
DETAILS:
PROJECT CODE
PD25-00046
PROGRAMME
Promove - Projetos I&D Mobilizadores 2025 – Fundação “la Caixa”
FIELDS OF INTERVENTION
Improvement of water treatment for reuse in agriculture with soil health assessment
MAIN BENEFICIARY
CERES-UC - Chemical Engineering and Renewable Resources for Sustainability
OTHER BENEFICIARIES
- Inovcluster - Associação do Cluster Agro-Industrial do Centro;
- Serviços municipais de Castelo Branco
(SMCB) - Águas de Portugal Valor (VALOR)
- Parque Natural do Tejo Internacional (PNTI)
START DATE
01/01/2026
END DATE
01/01/2029
TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET
312.061,36 €
TOTAL ELIGIBLE INOVCLUSTER BUDGET
57.174,79 €
FINANCING RATE/AMOUNT
45.739,83 € (80%)
PRIVATE COUNTERPART INOVCLUSTER
11.434,96 €
TOTAL ACTION BUDGET 2026
5.000,00 €
PERSONAL BUDGET 2026
12.724,93 €
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)
